Preserving San Elizario's past: Services forced to move as church repaired

Photo gallery: San Elceario Catholic Church restoration

The doors of San Elceario Catholic Church are still open. Instead of pews, there are work ladders and construction materials all around.

In mid-January, parishioners at the church had to move services to the parish hall because of San Elceario's dangerous deterioration.

"I think it all started when we got some bad advice to remove the sidewalk about two years ago," said Lillian Trujillo, a member of the church's finance committee. "Within about a month of it being removed, little cracks started to expand and then there were humongous cracks on the outside and inside."

Trujillo said the church received three grants for several thousand dollars from the Catholic Diocese of El Paso to help with construction work.

"We've also received some donations during collections, so we can start fixing the church again," she said.

To make the money last, most of the work is being done by volunteers.

Tony Araujo of Organizacion Progresiva, and husband of the church's secretary, is leading the construction work.

Trujillo said that a new, wider sidewalk has been put in to stabilize the church and that volunteers are now working on the walls, reinforcing the adobes.

Besides being displaced,

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Preserving San Elizario's past: Services forced to move as church repaired